Author
The Asylum Regulation, which gives practical application to the previous version of the Asylum Act, makes specific reference to the provision of information to asylum seekers on their rights.[1] It provides that the Spanish administration, in collaboration with UNHCR and other NGOs who work with refugees, will elaborate leaflets for the provision of relevant information to asylum seekers in several languages.
The Ministry of Interior has published a leaflet, available online and handed to all applicants at the moment they express the will to ask for international protection, so that they can contact any organisation that provides support and assistance.[2] The information is available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.
In addition, the Asylum Regulation specifies that information on the asylum procedure and on applicants’ rights will be given orally by the authority in charge of the registration procedure, and in particular on their right to free legal assistance and interpretation service.[3]
Besides institutional information channels, other organisations design and disseminate information leaflets and brochures regarding the asylum procedure and related rights. The information may be provided in several languages, depending on the entity promoting the material.
During COVID-19, NGOs continued to support asylum seekers via remote tools such as phones or video calls. After the first lockdown, assistance in person was also ensured in accordance with COVID-19 measures. After the declaration of the State of Alarm in Spain, NGOs in Spain have been declared as essential activities and were allowed to continue their activities in person. In 2021, NGOs provided assistance both remotely and in person, in line with changes in COVID-19 measures in force and depending on the situation of each Autonomous Community.
On the International Woman Day, on March 2021, UNHCR launched a video to prevent gender-based violence against refugee and asylum seeker women. The video is available in 4 languages (Spanish, English, French and Arabic), and is aimed at preventing and identifying possible situations of gender-based violence, and informing refugee and asylum seekers women on what to do and where to refer in such cases[4]. In addition, in April 2021, UNHCR launched two animated videos to inform persons reaching Spain about international protection. The videos are available in Spanish, English, French and Arabic, and they explain to newcomers what international protection is and how to access the procedure in Spain, both at the borders and in territory.[5]
UNHCR enhanced access to relevant information through different channels and initiatives. Of particular relevance were the updates made in UNHCR´s HELP web portal, which witnessed a steady increase in visits, with over a million page views recorded in 2023, the launch of a virtual Newsletter for Refugees and Stateless People which enables to disseminate information and opportunities to the community, furthermore enabling to reach out to forcibly displaced populations outside the reception system, or the Know Your Rights annual program in collaboration with DLA Piper in Spain which has benefitted over 350 participants from 15 different countries this year.[6]
[1] Article 5(1) Asylum Regulation.
[2] The leaflet is available at: https://bit.ly/2RCKcqL.
[3] Article 5(2) Asylum Regulation.
[4] UNHCR/ACNUR, ACNUR presenta un vídeo para ayudar a prevenir la violencia de género en mujeres refugiadas y solicitantes de asilo, 5 March 2021, available in Spanish at: https://bit.ly/3mqTjJm.
[5] UNHCR/ACNUR, ACNUR lanza dos vídeos animados sobre protección internacional y asilo en España, 19 April 2021, available in Spanish at: https://bit.ly/3gz6uE8.
[6] Information provided by UNHCR in April 2024.